July 31 2026
Shailesh Jejurikar: Months after becoming Procter & Gamble’s first Indian-origin CEO, now also its board chairman
(Jul 31, 2026) After becoming Procter & Gamble’s first Indian-origin CEO and President earlier this year, Mumbai-born Shailesh Jejurikar has now been appointed Chairman of the Board, taking on the company’s three highest leadership roles. Founded in 1837, Cincinnati-headquartered P&G owns some of the world’s most recognisable household brands, including Tide, Ariel, Pampers, Gillette, Oral-B, Vicks, Pantene and Head & Shoulders.
When Shailesh Jejurikar became President and Chief Executive Officer of Procter & Gamble earlier this year, he made history as the first Indian-origin executive to lead the nearly 190-year-old consumer goods company. Now, the Mumbai-born business leader has added another distinction to his career.
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) has appointed Jejurikar as Chairman of the Board, effective August 1, 2026, while he continues as President and Chief Executive Officer. He succeeds Jon Moeller, who will retire from the board on July 31 and from the company on August 14. The appointment places Jejurikar at the helm of one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies, whose brands reach billions of consumers every year across more than 180 countries.
Shailesh Jejurikar
Thirty-six years inside one company
Unlike many global CEOs whose careers span multiple corporations, Jejurikar’s leadership story has unfolded almost entirely within Procter & Gamble. That continuity has given him a rare institutional perspective, allowing him to witness first-hand how consumer expectations, technology and global markets have reshaped the business over nearly four decades.
After graduating from Elphinstone College in Mumbai and earning an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, he joined P&G India in 1989 as an Assistant Brand Manager. Notably, his rise to the top of a Fortune 50 multinational came without pursuing a degree abroad, making his journey distinctive among Indian-origin leaders heading global corporations.
Over the next 36 years, he led businesses across India, Southeast Asia, East Africa, North America and several international markets, gaining experience across brand management, manufacturing, supply chain, enterprise markets and global operations. Today, he oversees one of the world’s largest consumer goods businesses.
I am responsible for one of the world’s largest consumer packaged goods companies—reaching approximately 5 billion people in more than 180 countries every year.
Shailesh Jejurikar .
A childhood across India
Shailesh Jejurikar’s global outlook was shaped long before his international assignments. His father worked with ICI Paints, now part of AkzoNobel, and frequent transfers meant the family moved across different Indian cities rather than across countries. Jejurikar spent his childhood between Hyderabad and Mumbai, while family vacations often meant visiting his father in Kolkata and Jharkhand.
For Jejurikar, those early experiences of adapting to new environments within India would later prove valuable in understanding consumers across cultures and markets.
Leading brands used every day
As CEO, Jejurikar believes long-term growth will come from balancing timeless brand-building principles with modern capabilities.
One belief I hold strongly is that the companies leading in the years ahead will be those that combine enduring brand-building principles with new capabilities, enabling them to move faster and more creatively in building awareness and engagement—and ultimately serve consumers better.
Shailesh Jejurikar
Shailesh during a market tour
Building businesses through innovation
Jejurikar joined P&G’s Global Leadership Council in 2014 before becoming Chief Executive Officer of the company’s Global Fabric & Home Care business in 2019. The division, valued at nearly $30 billion, includes brands such as Tide, Ariel, Downy, Gain, Febreze and Swiffer. In 2021, he became Chief Operating Officer, taking charge of Enterprise Markets covering Latin America, India, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, while also overseeing information technology, manufacturing, sales and market operations. Throughout his career, innovation has remained central to his leadership philosophy.
“The best way to manage disruption is to lead it. At Procter & Gamble, we drive innovation forward by deeply understanding our consumers’ needs. This approach ultimately benefits all our stakeholders and drives growth,” he mentioned in one of his posts on social media.
Leading with business and community
Beyond corporate leadership, Jejurikar has also remained engaged with the communities where he lives. “I am committed to the communities where I live and work, actively serving on the boards of the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) and The Christ Hospital,” he shared.
His leadership extends beyond financial performance to broader questions of community development, sustainability and long-term business resilience. Earlier in his career, he served as Executive Sponsor for P&G’s global sustainability initiatives, helping integrate environmental goals into product design, manufacturing and supply chain operations.
I’ve had the privilege of working around the world in a variety of roles, but what has always inspired me is Procter & Gamble’s unwavering commitment to deeply understanding our consumers and innovating to create everyday products that can improve lives.
Shailesh Jejurikar
Beyond business success
Jejurikar’s achievements have also resonated with the Indian diaspora. In 2023, he was honoured as “Man of the Year in Private Service” during the Diwali celebrations in Times Square, New York. Addressing the gathering of business leaders and members of the Indian-American community, he reflected on the philosophy that has guided his career. The recognition celebrated not only his corporate accomplishments but also the growing influence of Indian-origin professionals shaping global business.
Another chapter in Indian-origin global leadership
Jejurikar’s appointment as Chairman comes at a time when multinational companies are navigating economic uncertainty, changing consumer expectations and rapid technological transformation. His career also stands out for another reason. Unlike many Indian-origin leaders of multinational corporations who earned advanced degrees overseas before building global careers, Jejurikar’s education remained firmly rooted in India with education at Mumbai University and IIM Lucknow. From there, he built an international career entirely within Procter & Gamble, steadily rising through its ranks over nearly four decades.
His appointment as Chairman of the P&G Board, following his elevation to President and CEO earlier this year, reflects both the depth of leadership cultivated within P&G and the increasing prominence of Indian-trained executives at the highest levels of global business.
- Follow Shailesh Jejurikar on LinkedIn
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